We arrived in Arco, Idaho early in the day and checked into the KOA Journey RV Park.
Arco, Idaho, a charming town nestled in the Rocky Mountains and is known as the first town in the world to be lit by atomic power. The town is surrounded by stunning natural beauty, including Crters of the Moon National Monument.
Arriving in the early afternoon, allowed us enough time to drive to see Craters of the Moon. Craters of the Moon National Monument is a National Preserve with an awesome name! It’s name describes the landscape which is actually extensive lava floodfields of basalt forming part of the Great Rift of Idaho.The Craters of the Moon Lava Field formed during eight major eruptive periods. During this time the Craters of the Moon lava field grew to cover 618 square miles.
Our first stop was at Inferno Cone which is a tall cinder cone along the Great Rift. Ken hiked up the short but steep trail to the top where he had 360 degree views. While hiking the cone, he met a fellow “Hoosier” from Bedford, IN!
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Next, we checked out one of the Spatter Cones. Spatter Cones are formed from an eruption, shooting lava into the air and then falling to the ground, hardening and forming a cone. We walked up a short spiral trail to the top of the cone where we could look down into the cone. The area was fenced off making it difficult to actually see down inside. It was still a cool thing to see and do!
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We continued on the drive through the lava fields and made a quick visit to the vistor center before exiting. Even though we were not “newbies” to the Craters of the Moon, we were still amazed by it’s otherworldly landscape!
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On a lighter side of history, there is another unique feature in Arco. “Number Hill” or “Graduation Hill” is a mountainside visible from town. The last two didgits of each year’s graduating class is inscribed on the mountain. We had good view from our RV site!
Tomorrow – We travel Caldwell, iD (Boise area)
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